


soul-bound

by halcyonskies



Series: 100Themes: Dean/Cas [32]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Castiel, Bonding ritual, Demon Dean, Demon Winchesters, Gen, Mythical Beings & Creatures, angels and demons not specific to theology, dean and cas are around six or seven, they're more just creatures named after those things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 10:45:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4957321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyonskies/pseuds/halcyonskies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel hopes Dean likes him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	soul-bound

**Author's Note:**

> 100Themes Challenge - #37: What If . . .
> 
> oops, i ran over 500 words again

“Wh-what if he _hates_ me?” Castiel sobbed, hiding his face against his mother’s throat. His small fledgeling wings shivered in distress, beating erratically until his mother laid her own golden feathers over them in a calming gesture.

“An angel’s chosen demon can’t hate them, sweetpea,” she explained patiently, sifting her fingers through her son’s feathers, setting them to rights again. “Do you think Aunt Meg hates me?”

“Nuh-uh,” Castiel disagreed, because that was just a silly thing to ask. Aunt Meg was Momma’s chosen demon, paired to her when the both of them had been Castiel’s age. It was a ritual as old as time – as long as anyone could remember, angels and demons had been bonded together in order to settle their budding powers, preventing either one from losing control and fizzling away. No one knew why it happened that way, or why demons were the only ones who could temper an angel’s power (and vice-versa).

But Castiel had never been a popular angel, struggling to keep the only tenuous friendships he’d managed to forge. He was so afraid that his chosen demon would dislike him, and it would be awful to have a bond with someone that didn’t even want to be near him. All he wanted was a friendship like his mother had with Aunt Meg; for all their physical differences, they were close enough to be sisters, sharing happiness and pain alike with each other. Castiel wanted someone like that, someone to go on adventures with and to tell secrets to.

“C’mon, Cas, Dean will love you. And you’ll love him too, I promise. He’s yours because your souls match, honey.”

So Castiel did his best to shake off his nervousness, electing to walk alongside his mother like a big boy instead of entering the bonding room in her arms – he wasn’t a nestling, after all. He did hold tight to her hand, though, accepting the comforting touch of her wings every time she offered it.

There were five other people in the bonding room when they went inside: the Matchmaker, and what must have been Dean’s family. There was a big demon with a lined face and kind eyes, his horns rising up from his temples in spirals. Beside him was another demon, her own horns petite and curling in a gentle arch. There was a baby in her arms, tugging on her yellow hair.

Then there was the boy, a little demon boy with horns sprouting right out his forehead. His eyes were a watery black; he was too young to control that reaction to his own stress.

_Dean._

“Hello,” Castiel’s mother said upon entering, smiling warmly. She tipped her wings up in greeting, while the demon family flicked their tails in a similar gesture. But Castiel only had eyes for Dean, and the Matchmaker, who looked as if he was ready to begin.

“Dean Winchester?” the Matchmaker intoned, and it seemed to Castiel that any lightheartedness had suddenly been sucked out of the room. The demon boy jumped a little, gaze ripping away from Castiel, and his forked tail twitched in fear. “Come forward, please.”

Dean did, gulping audibly.

“Castiel Shurley?”

Castiel squeaked, though he’d known it was coming, and nearly tripped in his haste to stand at Dean’s side. His right wing caught against Dean’s elbow.

Over their heads, the adults in the room grinned conspiratorially.

The Matchmaker proceeded in giving the bonding speech, a lot of long, complicated words that meant little to Castiel. It all sounded important, though, and very ominous; beside him, Dean was trembling a little. Without thinking, Castiel stroked the tips of his primaries over the boy’s arm, like his mother always did for him when he was afraid. It earned him a grateful look, and his first glimpse of Dean’s eyes without the black film. They were very green.

“Give me your hands,” the Matchmaker said kindly, and Castiel and Dean watched in awe as the man wove a fiery string of magic ‘round and ‘round their hands, binding them together. He uttered a few more words, the string grew hot, and then the pairing was done.

Castiel didn’t really feel different, but when he turned to look at Dean he noticed a little flare of excitement in his chest that wasn’t his own. Was that Dean?

“Hey, Cas,” Dean whispered, shy and sweet and so obviously happy that Castiel felt his own reservations fading away.

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel whispered back. As long as Dean looked at him like that, he didn’t think he’d ever have to worry about the demon hating him.

 

 


End file.
